Cost of Living Comparison Between Exeter and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Exeter and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,505 in Exeter versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Exeter versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,391 in Exeter versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Exeter is roughly 98% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Exeter is 83% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.06 £14.86

$11.60 MX$199

72.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 £73.3

$47.11 MX$807

109.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 £6.94

$11.88 MX$204

-21.13%

Cappuccino

$5.08 £3.76

$3.98 MX$68.1

27.64%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 £2.33

$1.43 MX$24.45

120.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.80

$0.82 MX$14.13

196.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.23 £5.35

$3.19 MX$54.6

126.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 £4.66

$6.79 MX$116

-7.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.68 MX$28.71

-10.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 £1.23

$2.20 MX$37.64

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.71 MX$29.27

1.75%

Eggs

$4.37 £3.24

$2.74 MX$46.96

59.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 £6.65

$9.58 MX$164

-6.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 £6.64

$9.01 MX$154

-0.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.15 £17.89

$12.81 MX$219

88.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 £2.25

$2.89 MX$49.49

5.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.50 MX$25.65

-3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 £1.96

$2.15 MX$36.80

22.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.16 £2.34

$2.26 MX$38.71

39.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 £1.72

$1.98 MX$33.93

17.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.99 MX$34.09

-1.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 £1.20

$1.23 MX$21.15

31.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.20 MX$20.50

57.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.38 £18.06

$4.55 MX$78.0

435.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.25 £6.85

$10.37 MX$178

-10.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 £2.69

$1.62 MX$27.74

124.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 £3.26

$2.88 MX$49.35

53.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 £2.93

$0.60 MX$10.29

558.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 £79.2

$28.80 MX$493

271.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 £4.30

$5.39 MX$92.3

7.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 £1.89

$3.73 MX$63.9

-31.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.15 £17.89

$5.77 MX$98.9

318.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 £1.49

$1.54 MX$26.32

30.52%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.5K £29.3K

$22.5K MX$386.3K

75.32%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.2K £30.5K

$26.1K MX$446.5K

58.20%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$475 £352

$91.4 MX$1,566

419.52%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.89 £11.77

$25.20 MX$432

-36.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.57 £34.49

$31.24 MX$535

49.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.46 £32.93

$67.2 MX$1,151

-33.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.39 £9.92

$29.11 MX$499

-54.00%

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 £9.53

$4.86 MX$83.3

164.81%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,470 £1,089

$224 MX$3,832

557.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K £13.1K

$4,229 MX$72.5K

319.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 £50.9

$47.10 MX$807

45.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.74 £23.51

$44.29 MX$759

-28.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.0

$80.1 MX$1,373

28.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 £81.1

$92.7 MX$1,588

18.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 £871

$1,063 MX$18.2K

10.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 £690

$390 MX$6,686

138.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 £1,871

$2,149 MX$36.8K

17.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 £1,551

$1,272 MX$21.8K

64.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,439 £4,029

$4,001 MX$68.6K

35.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,608 £4,895

$6,502 MX$111.4K

1.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,117 £2,309

$758 MX$13.0K

311.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

11.45

-55.37%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Exeter: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,176 in Exeter and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Exeter pays 311% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $99.0 in Exeter vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $276 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Exeter vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Exeter and Playa del Carmen differ by about 98% in total monthly costs ($2,505 vs $1,266 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 311% higher in Exeter, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,176 in Exeter versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $99.0 in Exeter. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,505 per month in Exeter versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 98% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,505 in Exeter, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Exeter. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Exeter and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Exeter. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.